"Tagitsuhime, do you think this thing is one of the Six Paths Ninja Tools?"
"I don't think so."
The longer Kazuyama Gekkō studied the bracelet in his hand, the stranger it seemed. By all accounts, there were only five Six Paths tools: the Bashōsen, the Shichiseiken, the Kohaku no Jōhei, the Benihisago, and the Kōkinjō.
He'd never heard of a bracelet among them.
And what was with this bracelet anyway? It had five colors—yellow, red, blue, purple, and black?
What the hell was the black supposed to be? Black water?
"If this thing really counts as a Six Paths tool, then the Sage of Six Paths is seriously overrated."
"Feel it yourself. This bracelet has four chakra attributes sealed in it—Fire, Earth, Wind, and Lightning."
"Didn't Pakura say that the black water that showed up earlier at the house was probably Water Release?"
"So basically, all five elements are sealed inside. That black color must be what it looks like after it's been used."
Listening to Tagitsuhime's analysis, Kazuyama Gekkō looked annoyed. Six Paths ninja tool? Yeah right—this was just a disposable storage tool.
Five elements? Sure, it sounded impressive, but in practice, it was nothing special.
"Trash. Carrying junk like this and daring to cause trouble in my house?"
"You've got guts."
"Tagitsuhime, paralyze him. Don't kill him—I'm dragging him to Kumo to demand answers."
Tagitsuhime's Senjutsu specialized in binding and paralysis, so it was nothing for her.
A ripple flickered through the crimson light, and Tōkaku immediately lost all consciousness.
Paralyzed—completely. Even his brain had gone numb. With Senjutsu binding him, he was nothing more than a living corpse. Unless dispelled by Senjutsu, he'd remain that way indefinitely.
"They came pretty fast."
"Now comes payback."
Kazuyama Gekkō waved his hand. Tagitsuhime released her dense Senjutsu chakra, and the crimson light dissipated.
Minato Namikaze and Fugaku Uchiha arrived with the ANBU close behind.
When they reached the spot where the crimson glow had flared, they found Kazuyama Gekkō holding his child, while Tōkaku of Kumogakure stood frozen in place.
"Handled already?"
"Yeah. Just this guy—hardly worth the effort."
Minato stepped forward, examining Tōkaku and noticing he was still alive.
"What's his condition?"
"Paralyzed. Senjutsu from Ryūchi Cave. Right now, he's a living corpse."
"Hmph. And Kumogakure dares cloak this in the name of peace."
Minato's words brimmed with anger. What Kumo had done was nothing less than trampling all over Konoha's pride.
Sneaking into the village to kidnap people? They'd stoop that low?
"This isn't over. And what about those three corpses?"
"Hand them over to me too. If Kumo wants trouble, I'll give them plenty."
Kazuyama Gekkō had already made up his mind. Unless Kumogakure gave him a proper explanation and compensation, this matter wasn't finished.
Minato's expression showed a flicker of resignation as he weighed the situation.
Fugaku, standing beside him, stayed silent but fully grasped the gravity of what this meant.
In his heart, though, he sided with Kazuyama Gekkō. His daughter had been abducted—if he didn't vent, it would eat him alive.
He'd be the talk of the village, pointed at and mocked. He'd end up stuck at the children's table at every banquet.
And he knew Kazuyama Gekkō too well—there was no way he would just swallow this.
"Don't rush. I'll negotiate with Kumogakure tomorrow."
"Let's see if they can come up with a reasonable explanation."
Minato, as Hokage, had to weigh the village's interests above all.
But all that earned him were the sharp glares of his two friends.
"Forget it. Kumo did this, they're not afraid of consequences."
"Hell, even if we killed three of them and captured one, they'd still find a way to play the victim."
"Either way, I'm going to Kumo."
"Summoning Technique!"
Before Minato could react, the summoning was already complete.
The black serpent, Black Mamba, appeared and bolted toward Kumogakure, bearing Kazuyama Gekkō's seal.
"Black Mamba will take time to reach Kumo. In the meantime, you can contact them."
"Minato, I'm not exaggerating—if their reply doesn't match what I've said, I'll stand on my head and wash my hair!"
Kazuyama Gekkō sneered, radiating confidence.
Minato frowned. He too had his doubts about Kumogakure, but as one of the Great Villages, surely they wouldn't stoop so low as to refuse accountability?
"Alright, let's head back for now."
"I'll continue patrols tonight."
"And don't let your daughter sleep outside again. She'll catch a cold."
In the end, Fugaku stepped in to smooth things over.
Kazuyama Gekkō wasn't unaware of Minato's position. In the past, he would've stormed off to Kumogakure already.
But giving Minato time was deliberate—he wanted him to see for himself just how dirty the Great Villages played.
Once events unfolded as he predicted, Minato would understand—against such people, only force worked.
Still holding his daughter, Kazuyama Gekkō suddenly squatted down and started drawing circles in the dirt with his free hand.
The sudden action left Minato and Fugaku baffled.
"What are you doing?"
"Hmph. Can't I draw a couple of circles?"
"Alright, go on. I'll head home soon."
[Ding! Curse Technique: Draw a Circle to Curse You activated! Target: Fourth Raikage A!]
Satisfied after hearing the system prompt, Kazuyama Gekkō stood up.
Fourth Lightning Bro, you like to play games? Then let's play.
Hmph! Let's see just how unlucky you get under this curse!
He couldn't storm into Kumo right away, but interest had to be collected.
...
The Gekkō household was ablaze with light, filled with people.
The Hatake father and son, the Hyūga Hizashi father and son—even Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto were there.
Four-year-old Michihito Gekkō, upon hearing that his sister had been kidnapped, wore an icy expression on his young face.
But when they saw Kazuyama Gekkō carrying Senko back, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well, looks like quite the crowd."
"Hizashi, instead of handling Hyūga matters, what are you doing at my place?"
Kazuyama Gekkō was a little surprised to see so many visitors.
"Where's that bastard?"
"The ANBU took over. Don't worry, he's not getting away."
Pakura took Senko from his arms, her face first softening in relief, then hardening again with fresh anger.